The present invention relates generally to agricultural tillage and seedbed preparation equipment, and more particularly to an improved stand-alone soil conditioning rotary reel.
Many fall tillage operations that manage residue and reduce soil compaction to improve soil tilth, such as combination deep ripper tools, can create a problem in the spring by leaving large soil clods and holes on the soil surface from the ripper shanks and points. This often leads to difficult-to-manage soils in the spring that can then produce poor seedbed conditions at planting, resulting in yield loss due to poor germination and non-uniform plant stands.
In dry land farming environments it is common to use several types of rolling packers and conditioners in conjunction with primary tillage applications to condition the seedbed zone as well as firm the soil to prevent soil blowing, while maintaining soil moisture ahead of planting. However, these packers and conditioners are not generally used for fall tillage with spring planting in wetter environments due to the difference in soil type, soil moisture, and over-wintering affects.
Packers and traditional soil conditioners used in the spring in a secondary tillage application are not a proper fit for providing soil conditioning in a primary tillage application. Generally, these secondary tillage soil conditioners rely on a “roller effect” to crush sun-baked clods into an almost fine powdery condition, which is acceptable in the seed zone at planting time; however, using these tools in a fall primary tillage application is generally discouraged because the soil is frequently wetter and thus these tools essentially repack soil that has just been loosened for air and water infiltration. Likewise, they tend to make the soil aggregate size too small and fine for the over-wintering process and will likely lead to crusting, runoff, and even blowing.
As used herein, “primary tillage” refers to tillage where the ground working is deeper and the soil is turned, as for example, with moldboard and chisel plows, at depths greater than four inches. “Primary tillage” is distinguished, for example, from secondary tillage and various cultivation techniques such as disks, “spider” wheels and sweeps, as well as combinations of devices that normally cultivate the surface to nominal depths of two inches, but as deep as three to four inches.
The concept of rotary reels (or basket rollers, or packers, as they are sometimes called) to condition the soil and break clods is, of course, not new; however, the present invention sets forth several unique design features that cooperate to optimize the capabilities of the rotary reel and to achieve the improved results mentioned.
It would be quite advantageous to overcome the problems identified above in a manner as described in the immediately preceding paragraph, and to do so without increasing the workload of the farmer.